Cat and kittens abandoned outside Coventry rescue centre

The RSPCA centre has urged people to speak to staff before leaving animals

A cat and three kittens were abandoned on the driveway of a rescue centre.

RSPCA Coventry and District Branch said the animals were left at around 16:00 BST on Saturday, when a man hid from staff before running away after leaving a carrier with the animals inside.

The charity said it was "currently operating at full capacity " and "cannot operate on a system where people suddenly dump animals on us".

It said it had received "lots of offers of support" after sharing the story.

A staff member had looked after the animals overnight, it said, speaking to a vet, but one of the kittens had died.

The charity said it had a long waiting list of people waiting for its assistance "most in desperate situations".

"Our cattery is full and so are our foster spaces," it said.

"We will work with people in all situations but we cannot create spaces - we are suffering the same pressures every other rescue [centre] in the country is facing."

It advised people in need to speak to the charity and it would try to assist.